proud of that fact and rightly so, she thought. “My goodness.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “When David Austin brought the first Anglo settlers to Texas, there were only three hundred of them; the blue bloods of Texas aristocracy. It’s on both sides of my family.”
She couldn’t help but be impressed. Still, if Uncle Trace knew she had gone driving with him, there would be trouble. “I really should get back. I have a luncheon date.”
He glanced sideways at her. “Not a young gentleman, I hope?”
“Oh, no.” She laughed. “Just a girlfriend I don’t get to see often.”
“Good. I’d hate to think I have a rival. Here, we’ll cross this low creek and go back to town.”
“It looks a little deep,” Turquoise protested as he drove into the water and abruptly, the buggy stopped. She heard him swear under his breath, then he applied the whip to the horse. “Get up there, you lazy nag!”
“Stop!” Turquoise protested. “The horse is doing all it can. We’ve hit some mud, that’s all.”
He sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Well, I guess I’ll have to get my boots muddy.” He made an expression of distaste and stepped down. The water was halfway up the fine leather. “And I just bought these boots, too.”
“I’m so sorry,” Turquoise said.
“It’s not your fault,” he replied, smiling up at her.
“Perhaps I’d better go for help but I don’t want to leave you alone, my dear.”
“If you’ll just carry me over and set me under that tree, I’ll be fine until you return.”
“Of course, and I imagine you’re light as a feather.” He sluiced through the water back to her and she stepped off the carriage into his arms.
She knew immediately that this gentleman had nomuscle to him, because he took two steps backward and then went down, cursing. They were now both drenched and sitting in the cold water.
“Damn it! This is so embarrassing.” Forester staggered to his feet as she scrambled to hers. “Excuse my language, Miss Turquoise, but this is a new coat besides the boots.”
“Mr. Forester, I’ll just go sit under the tree and you see if maybe you can drive the empty buggy out of the creek.”
“Good idea.” He reached up for the reins and the whip, but Turquoise protested again.
“It’s not the horse’s fault,” she said.
He looked humiliated. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just hate to be inconvenienced and I’ve ruined your dress. I think we passed a farmhouse about a mile up the road. Maybe they’ll have a team of work horses to get us out with. Will you be all right, my dear?”
“I’ll be fine.” She nodded and waded over to sit under the tree. “I don’t think I care to walk that mile with you.”
“Of course.” He sounded grumpy as he started off up the road. Turquoise watched him until he was out of sight, then sighed. Her pale aqua dress was soggy and she was getting cold. She glanced up at the sun. It must be near time to meet Fern for lunch and her friend would be worried. Worse yet, if Uncle Trace came back and found Turquoise missing, there might be hell to pay. Why had she been stupid enough to come on this outing?
She knew why; she’d been dazzled by the influence and the power of this handsome, refined man and he seemed entranced by her. Edwin Forester was the most eligible bachelor in town and every well-bred girl in Austin had set her cap for him. If she could get past Uncle Trace’s objections, what would it be like to snare the richest, most important man in Austin? She pulled her knees up and laid her arms on them. The black horse stood in the ankle-deep water and drank, flicking its tail at an occasional fly. Itwould be stupid to sit here and shiver and wait. Maybe she could get the buggy out of the creek herself. She was good with horses and Edwin didn’t seem to be.
Turquoise took a deep breath and waded out into the creek. Feeling around the front wheel of the buggy, she found the boulder that was blocking the wheel.
“Yes.” He nodded. “When David Austin brought the first Anglo settlers to Texas, there were only three hundred of them; the blue bloods of Texas aristocracy. It’s on both sides of my family.”
She couldn’t help but be impressed. Still, if Uncle Trace knew she had gone driving with him, there would be trouble. “I really should get back. I have a luncheon date.”
He glanced sideways at her. “Not a young gentleman, I hope?”
“Oh, no.” She laughed. “Just a girlfriend I don’t get to see often.”
“Good. I’d hate to think I have a rival. Here, we’ll cross this low creek and go back to town.”
“It looks a little deep,” Turquoise protested as he drove into the water and abruptly, the buggy stopped. She heard him swear under his breath, then he applied the whip to the horse. “Get up there, you lazy nag!”
“Stop!” Turquoise protested. “The horse is doing all it can. We’ve hit some mud, that’s all.”
He sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Well, I guess I’ll have to get my boots muddy.” He made an expression of distaste and stepped down. The water was halfway up the fine leather. “And I just bought these boots, too.”
“I’m so sorry,” Turquoise said.
“It’s not your fault,” he replied, smiling up at her.
“Perhaps I’d better go for help but I don’t want to leave you alone, my dear.”
“If you’ll just carry me over and set me under that tree, I’ll be fine until you return.”
“Of course, and I imagine you’re light as a feather.” He sluiced through the water back to her and she stepped off the carriage into his arms.
She knew immediately that this gentleman had nomuscle to him, because he took two steps backward and then went down, cursing. They were now both drenched and sitting in the cold water.
“Damn it! This is so embarrassing.” Forester staggered to his feet as she scrambled to hers. “Excuse my language, Miss Turquoise, but this is a new coat besides the boots.”
“Mr. Forester, I’ll just go sit under the tree and you see if maybe you can drive the empty buggy out of the creek.”
“Good idea.” He reached up for the reins and the whip, but Turquoise protested again.
“It’s not the horse’s fault,” she said.
He looked humiliated. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just hate to be inconvenienced and I’ve ruined your dress. I think we passed a farmhouse about a mile up the road. Maybe they’ll have a team of work horses to get us out with. Will you be all right, my dear?”
“I’ll be fine.” She nodded and waded over to sit under the tree. “I don’t think I care to walk that mile with you.”
“Of course.” He sounded grumpy as he started off up the road. Turquoise watched him until he was out of sight, then sighed. Her pale aqua dress was soggy and she was getting cold. She glanced up at the sun. It must be near time to meet Fern for lunch and her friend would be worried. Worse yet, if Uncle Trace came back and found Turquoise missing, there might be hell to pay. Why had she been stupid enough to come on this outing?
She knew why; she’d been dazzled by the influence and the power of this handsome, refined man and he seemed entranced by her. Edwin Forester was the most eligible bachelor in town and every well-bred girl in Austin had set her cap for him. If she could get past Uncle Trace’s objections, what would it be like to snare the richest, most important man in Austin? She pulled her knees up and laid her arms on them. The black horse stood in the ankle-deep water and drank, flicking its tail at an occasional fly. Itwould be stupid to sit here and shiver and wait. Maybe she could get the buggy out of the creek herself. She was good with horses and Edwin didn’t seem to be.
Turquoise took a deep breath and waded out into the creek. Feeling around the front wheel of the buggy, she found the boulder that was blocking the wheel.
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